The familiar saying “Fake it till you make it” took an unexpected turn when a man tried to pass off a fake Rolex as genuine at a shop in Far East Plaza. He aimed to sell his Rolex GMT-Master II for $19,000, but his plan was quickly foiled by shop owner Edmund Koh.
TikTok user bruceleekoh shared a video of the encounter on May 10, which garnered 92,000 views and hundreds of comments. The CCTV footage from Koh’s shop, Three Crowns Watches and Jewellery Pte Ltd, captured the moment Koh examined the watch.
According to Koh, the customer claimed his father had bought the watch brand new but lost the box and certificate. Initially, the watch appeared authentic, but upon closer inspection, Koh noticed irregularities in the Rolex mini crown crest. He opened the back case, revealing a fake mechanism with plastic parts—something not found in genuine Rolex watches.
Despite the evidence, the customer was reluctant to accept the watch’s authenticity. Koh, a former police officer, pointed out his high commendation award from the Singapore Police Force, which he received in 1981, and chose to let the man off with a warning.
Koh mentioned that this was not an isolated case, having encountered similar attempts five times in the past two years. Many TikTok users praised Koh’s decision to show leniency, with one commenting on his kindness for not reporting the man.
Under Singapore’s Trade Marks Act, counterfeiting a trademark is illegal, and those caught could face serious consequences.